We\u2019re going to use the power of gratitude and appreciation as our premise for setting you up for your next leap forward \u2013 and not just your success financially, also as a clinician, a practice owner, and a leader. I\u2019m going to show you how to get more significance out of your work and time invested in your practice. What could be a more worthwhile goal than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It begins and ends in a place that you might not first think of. It is the great equalizer for everyone. If you live out this practice growth principle, it is the catalyst for everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s the underlying concept (aside from being a humble, kind, respectful, courteous person), I don\u2019t think there is any better way to demonstrate your appreciation for others more so than valuing time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it happens to be a foundational principle of all success. In fact, I would go so far as to say you can\u2019t be successful and go against this core guiding principle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Any practice that is built on, operates with, commits to, believes in, and makes decisions around a philosophy of time being the most important asset needed to carry out your mission with your patients and to achieve your objectives \u2013 is already set up for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I point to this right now, while important every day all year long, it is especially relevant as we move closer to the end of the year when day are getting shorter (quite literally with less sunlight), seem to fall off the calendar faster, and a fast approaching end-of-year deadline staring you in the face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t let this intimated you. You might be looking forward to it already… the holidays, the end of the year, the fresh start. But, wait a minute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s still a lot of time left and every day counts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is the month of Thanksgiving, though it shouldn\u2019t take a holiday for you to think about that. That\u2019s another practice breakthrough in and of itself. We\u2019ll get to that in the next few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, I want to draw your attention back to the greatest equalizer in all of our lives and I want to remind you that every breakthrough you will ever have in your practice will come back to the utilization of and increasing the value within your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can also tell you that the most common thing that holds practices back is the mismanagement of time; primarily from a standpoint of prioritization, value creation, being unorganized, careless with minutes, or simply out of order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tasked-based focus instead of value-based focus. Filling time with actions instead of maximizing time for results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My point today is a profound one\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want others to appreciate your time, you must appreciate theirs. More importantly, if you want others to appreciate your time, you must appreciate your own time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that\u2019s what is often missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve yet to meet a practice owner that says, \u201cThe last thing we care about is being on time for our patients. In fact, if it happens it\u2019s on accident because we just really don\u2019t consider it a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I\u2019ve never heard a team member say, \u201cWe are just fine with the patients showing up whenever they want \u2013 late, early \u2013 just as long as they come in, it doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You agree these statements are preposterous, but does every person in your practice demonstrate a belief in the value of time with every action, protocol, process, and interaction?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are careless with your own time, others will be too. If you don\u2019t value your own time, others won\u2019t either. If you don\u2019t appreciate your time, nor will anyone else. Of course, this applies to your team members as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If patients walk in and go moments without being acknowledged or greeted, you might consider it rude and it is and you might be busy and that\u2019s true but if you don\u2019t pay attention then with every slight it reinforces to the patient a negative feeling of the value of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are late to get your patient back or if your patient is waiting for the doctor in hygiene or on any follow-up. It\u2019s just simple\u2026 acknowledge, respect, appreciate everyone\u2019s time \u2013 all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re going to move this to how time affects you and why the hierarchy begins with you. It always does. But especially with your value over your own time because your practice has been built around how valuable we can make your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So if you are careless with when you arrive to morning huddles or you are slow to turn around treatment plans or you are disrespectful over your teams\u2019 or patients\u2019 time \u2013 all of these things have a ripple effect on others\u2019 attitudes toward you and your time. Beyond that, they have a compounding impact (that you might not immediately notice) in lost dollars, lost diagnosis, lost patients, lost productivity, lost value of your team\u2019s time, lost opportunity, and many other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s the thing and the tough love I\u2019m delivering to you here today\u2026 Your gut reaction is to go to how your team wastes their time or could use it better. Or your gut reaction is to go to how your team squanders your time whether through poor scheduling or inefficient room set-up or being behind instead of ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both are equal and they are important. However, the place you should go first (if you are going to increase the value and leverage of both of these) is to your own use, organization, orchestration, prioritization, and ultimately value of your time from your own perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is your greatest responsibility because from it all others follow\u2026 priorities, responsibilities, people, patients and everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are 4 time traps throughout your day where your own times is devalued. Breaking these also happen to be the four fastest ways to instantly and sustainably elevate your practice production and most of all profit to levels others don\u2019t believe possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are outlined extensively in my new book with a simple and easy approach to apply them directly to your dental business model overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You Can Still Grab a Free Copy of My New Book Right Here\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n First, you have your clinical hourly value of time which is built by the way you treatment plan and organize dentistry to be done in your schedule. This can be sabotaged in countless ways beginning with your diagnosis all the way through what you and your team allow your patients to do when it comes to telling you how you are going to practice dentistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, you have your overall schedule control and mistakes made with it or wrenches thrown into it. When the flow of the schedule and the value of the day isn\u2019t prioritized it becomes a slippery slope that lowers the value of everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, you have all the in-betweens from the start of your day to your non-clinical hours and all the time you invest in your practice and with your team. If this isn\u2019t managed, scheduled, and built for value then it will be less effective and less efficient. I always say one of the greatest breakthroughs will be taking control of all of your time, not just your clinical time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fourth, really goes to whether or not you are purposeful and disciplined with all of your time and energy for everything else. Your health, your personal relationships, your other hobbies and interests, life priorities, and your responsibilities as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What happens when someone is careless with the things \u2018outside\u2019 the practice, they never fully feel focused and it robs them of peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You get to decide how you live too not just how you practice. You might need to be more resourceful, more organized, delegate more outside the practice, or prioritize properly in order to set yourself up for success with your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Otherwise, what is all the dentistry, work, money, practice, freedom, and independence of being a business owner really for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often the biggest downfall and detriment isn\u2019t inside the practice at all, it\u2019s outside where the real opportunity for time value is created. That will give you the greatest motivation to ruthlessly execute your time values and tolerate less wasted opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are all things that lead to a higher value in dollars, in treatment, and in quality of life. It is what creates the leverage to reduce work, worry, stress, and effort, all while accomplishing more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next week, I\u2019m going to give you insights and some tangible strategies that you can\u2019t get anywhere else. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are looking for the biggest game changer and time leverage creator for yourself to get more out of your practice without having to put more of you into your practice \u2013 you\u2019ll find the answers and proven formula for doing exactly that in my book all about engineering the Million Dollar Schedule\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n